Ergonomic solutions in manufacturing facilities have advanced significantly in recent times. A common reason why companies introduce these solutions is to improve efficiency and productivity. However, many companies are also integrating ergonomic hazard control strategies to reduce workplace injuries. According to the International Labour Organization, the manufacturing sector is one of the most hazardous, contributing to almost 3 million work-related deaths each year. This statistic highlights the need to create a plan to lower potential risks on a worksite.
One crucial tool safety engineers and production managers use to minimize or eliminate worker exposure is the hierarchy of hazard control. This simple hierarchy allows facilities to select the most appropriate control to reduce hazards identified in the workplace. As many of these hazard control solutions include simple interventions - such as modifying existing equipment, purchasing new production tools, and changing daily work practices - they are easy to implement. In most cases, these solutions also help to boost workplace productivity.
Learn how to apply the hierarchy of hazard control to your factory, enabling you to leverage simple, cost-effective solutions for improved workplace safety.
What Is a Hazard Control Program?
Hazard control programs outline strategic steps to limit worker exposure to dangerous substances or systems. In addition, they provide an overview of the training and procedures needed to measure worker exposure to hazards and the impact on their health. Typical risks include chemicals, harmful materials or substances, and system hazards such as noise and vibration.
Many organizations look to the hierarchy of hazard control after an accident or fatality occurs. However, it's better to assume a proactive approach by implementing this tool at the start of your operations. A reliable way to determine potential workplace hazards is to audit all facilities and create a comprehensive safety checklist. Once you've identified worksite risks, you can align the appropriate hierarchy action to minimize the likelihood of a specific accident.
Proactive processes allow you to experience the following benefits in your manufacturing plant:
Fewer instances of excessive manual lifting
Reduced physical demands on workers
Lower injury rates
Reduced compensation costs and employee turnover
The first step to hazard control in the workplace is to provide a written workplace hazard program. The program will highlight the current methods for hazard control and how the workplace can monitor them for ongoing effectiveness.
Designing operations that limit exposure to ergonomic risk factors remains one of the most successful ways to reduce workplace injury. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention outlines several effective controls to protect workers from workplace hazards - elimination and substitution, engineering controls, administrative or work practice controls, and personal protection solutions.
Elimination and Substitution
Elimination and substitution are perhaps the most effective and accessible methods to reduce workplace hazards. These procedures require safety engineers to remove the risk from the workplace or substitute hazardous practices, materials, and machines with less harmful ones.
Eliminating the hazard from the workplace is the most preferred method to control risk since the hazard itself is no longer present. In contrast, substitution introduces a new chemical, substance, or practice that is less hazardous than the previous ones. Substitution is often grouped with elimination because it has the same purpose - removing the original hazard from the workplace. The goal is to choose a new chemical, practice, or substance that offers lower risk than the original.
Engineering Controls
Engineering controls are designed to minimize worker exposure to potential hazards and risks. These methods influence the factory design, equipment, or processes and procedures. As long as operations specialists and managers design, maintain, and use these controls properly, they are extremely effective. Some of the basic types of engineering controls include:
Process controls
Enclosure or isolation of emission sources
Proper ventilation
Limiting the force of exertion on workers
To illustrate how manufacturing facilities use engineering controls for optimal safety, consider these common applications:
Using a lifting device or material handling system for better control when lifting heavy objects
Reducing the weight of a load to minimize force exertion
Arranging work tables to eliminate long reach and enable working in safe, neutral positions
Implementing diverging conveyors off your main line to eliminate long, repetitive tasks
Installing diverters on conveyors to direct materials toward the worker, successfully eliminating excessive reaching or leaning
Redesigning tools to enable safe, neutral postures
Designing fall protection systems for workers at height
Enclosing or isolating emission sources and ensuring proper ventilation
Administrative/Work Practice Controls
Factories use administrative controls in facilities and applications for two reasons - in the absence of engineering controls or as an additional procedure in conjunction with engineering controls. Administrative controls help establish efficient workplace processes and procedures, reducing injuries and increasing productivity. Some examples of administrative controls include:
Requiring two or more workers to lift heavy loads to limit force exertion
Establishing systems that rotate workers through tasks, minimizing the duration of ongoing exertion, repetitive motions, and uncomfortable positions
Designing a job rotation system that allows employees to use alternate muscle groups
Hiring staff floaters to provide workers with periodic breaks in addition to scheduled breaks
Ensuring workers are using and maintaining pneumatic and power tools properly
Personal Protection Solutions
Personal protection equipment (PPE) is a form of physical protection that reduces exposure to ergonomic-related risk factors. It is appropriate for some hazards, but as PPE is the least effective control in the hierarchy, you must pair this control with other, more effective methods. Examples of personal protection solutions include:
Applying padding to limit workers' exposure to sharp, hard, hot, or vibrating surfaces
Wearing fitted thermal gloves to ensure safety in cold conditions
Using protective eye- and footwear to prevent damage to the face and feet
Providing respirators to allow workers to breathe normally in hazardous settings
Proper Use of the Hierarchy of Control
A hierarchy of control provides a roadmap to optimize safety in your workplace - but only when implemented correctly. Use these tips to help you ensure less injuries in the workplace:
Rank control methods accordingly: PPE and some administrative controls are less expensive solutions, making them a popular choice. However, elimination, substitution, and engineering controls are more effective in preventing injuries and accidents in the long term. Consider the future gains when structuring your hierarchy.
Record and measure results: As all factories are different, controls that offer successful results in one plant may not deliver the same results for you. Ensure efficacy by defining a risk management process that allows you to measure and revise the control accordingly. If the risk is still present after implementing a specific control, review your hierarchy of hazard control for other solutions.
Combine controls for optimum safety: Administrative controls, including safety education and training, are crucial to workplace safety. However, they cannot replace all other controls, which are arguably more effective at reducing workplace hazards. As training doesn't remove hazards or minimize a worker's contact with them, use the control at the top of the hierarchy first - or in addition to - administrative controls.
